Castle Entrance & Interior
The Von Bruinwald manor, past its three hundredth anniversary,
serves as a prime example of the late-baroque architecture
which was the highlight of Usland's colonial period. Designers
of the day blended old-world sensibility and imported materials
with stone and lumber procured fresh from the hinterlands.
The result greatly pleased the head of the Von Bruinwald family,
newly appointed as First Baron of his house. Generations after
the castle's housewarming, the Von Bruinwald estate has become
renowned as the last of its kind.
A tour of Castle Von Bruinwald begins at the entrance, elevated
from ground level. The sizable main doors form a pointed arch,
a design motif copied throughout the castle's interior.
Walking through Castle Von Bruinwald is like turning back
the pages of history. The more "modern" portions
of the castle feature embroidered rugs and marble floors,
while the majority of rooms on the lower floor retain bare
stone surfaces punctuated by tapestries and paintings. Pillars,
archways, and high ceilings predominate the architectural
scheme. Visitors should bring a candlestick or flashlight
along when venturing deep into areas not equipped with electric
lighting, where suits of armor stand like grave sentinels
in halls adorned with the Von Bruinwald coat-of-arms.
Early considerations for turning the castle into a museum
must be put off until all 650 rooms are examined; there may
yet be secrets hidden in some undisturbed recess of the manor.
Courtyard
The expanse of the estate's front lawn perfectly complements
the towering Castle Von Bruinwald. From the stairway leading
up to the castle doors, one may enjoy a breathtaking green
vista surrounding the paved circuit of the driveway. The estate
gardeners take special pride in their cuttings, keeping hedges
and shrubbery looking like geometrically-perfect works of
art.
Three water fountains, topped by statues of bears strumming
harps, show the only evidence of the irrigation system that
keeps the castle grounds and its plants well-watered. The
trimmed arches and hedge walls on either side of the main
path make a splendid setting for an afternoon game of hide-and-seek.
Cupid Room
Red satin sheets, heart-shaped marks on the bed frame and
curtains, and a host of baby-faced gold statues with bows
and arrows — these elements are what prompted guests
to affectionately name this the "Cupid Room." Decorators
may have gone overboard when they assembled this posh suite,
across the hall from the master bedroom, that is presumed
to be kept for female guests or married couples.
The innocent faces of the little cherubic archers mask their
true sinister purpose, as arrow-shooting weapons placed by
murderous housekeepers — it is thought that at least
one Bruinwald Baron got the point.
Dining Hall
The main banquet hall of Castle Von Bruinwald conjures the
image of a throne room, if not a grand ballroom (found elsewhere).
The dining room sports a domed ceiling supported by a ring
of pillars and buttresses, with openings wherein axe-bearing
stone sculptures stand. A beautiful crystal chandelier hangs
over a long table that can seat between two and twenty people.
The castle menu featured whatever the Baron might like, along
with family favorites such as wild boar (cooked rare, as all
the Von Bruinwalds liked their meat), Bavarian cupcakes, and
carved chocolate ala flambé.
Front Gate
An elaborately gilded double gate separates Castle Von Bruinwald's
courtyard driveway from the twisty forest road leading off
from the estate. Mounted on remote-controlled hinges, the
gate can be opened and shut from the castle, eliminating the
need for a posted guard.
As an extra security feature, the gate can be electrified
simply by throwing a switch at the castle's base. The powerful
current runs through both sides of the gate, keeping intruders
in as easily as it keeps them out.
Hall of Barons
The Hall of Barons is a musty shrine to the prestigious Von
Bruinwald baronage. Unlit and unvisited for long periods of
time, the gallery illustrates the lives of the twelve barons
through a collection of portraits and keepsakes, dating back
to the First Baron. The subjects of the portraits are typically
showcased in their finest clothes, decked out with jewelry,
medals of honor, and other regalia.
Accompanying paintings show the barons engaged in a favorite
pastime or pursuit, giving the sense of what life must have
been like among the aristocracy. In the flicker of candlelight,
the faces are eerily lifelike; one might swear the painted
figures are watching him.
Kitchen
Down a path of dank steps is the castle cellar, deep within
the very foundations of the house. Herein lies the kitchen,
where the servants prepare meals for the Baron and for themselves.
Kitchen furnishings include shelves of dishes, cutlery, and
utensils; a suspended rack holding assorted kitchenware; full-service
oven; pantries stuffed with baking items in bulk; and a deluxe
icebox/ refrigerator. The Von Bruinwalds' appetites kept the
kitchen staff hopping to fix meals, which a dumbwaiter conveyed
to the upper floor for serving.
Knowing the Barons' weakness for midnight snacks, treacherous
housekeepers through the years rigged the cellar with boobytraps
all the way to the basement steps. The kitchen proper contains
not only a rotating wall section, but also a hidden guillotine
in the fridge, a flame thrower in the stove, flying kitchen
paraphernalia, and a furnace pit concealed under a trapdoor
in the floor.
Master Bedroom
None of Castle Von Bruinwald's guest rooms compare to the
master bedroom in size and comfort. Richly decorated and furnished
for a king, the Barons' quarters provided ample amenities,
such as a four-poster bed with fine linen sheets and bookshelves
holding classic volumes for after-hours reading. A telephone
on the nightstand, the newest convenience, permitted the latter
Baron to make calls from the privacy of his own bedroom.
An arsenal of door locks were meant to keep out the so-called
Von Bruinwald family curse, but all they did is confine the
Baron to the dangers in his own room, like a candle holder
that turns into a flame thrower. The bookcase also rotates
to reveal secret passages, which evil servants skulked around
in to place their own curse on the Von Bruinwalds.
Swimming
Pool
Every modern home has a bathtub, but very few have one the
size of a swimming pool! The castle's private bath doubles
as the Baron's own indoor water park, the centerpiece of the
castle's recreation rooms. One might take a spin around the
soap suds in a small paddle boat — being ever watchful
for sharks, even though they haven't been sighted in this
part of Castle Von Bruinwald since the Second Baron.
|
